Cell phones for seniors program reaches milestone

More than 25,000 cellphones have been collected for a program that gives Cook County senior citizens a lifeline in case of an emergency, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said Wednesday.

The donated phones are sent to the 911 Cellphone Bank in Florida, where they are stripped of personal information and distributed as emergency phones. The phones are not activated. Inactivated phones, however, can still call 9-1-1, and only 9-1-1, as long as they have a charged battery.

The cellphones provide an extra level of security for seniors when they are driving, taking public transit or participating in outdoor activities. Recipients have not only used these phones to help themselves in case of emergency, but also have used them to report vehicle accidents they've seen and medical emergencies they have witnessed.

The donated phones have been collected at numerous sites throughout Cook County since 2006.

If you are a senior, or know a senior, who does not have a cellphone of their own, call (708) 974-6042 to receive an application.

Individuals, local organizations and businesses are encouraged to donate their unwanted cellphones or sponsor a cellphone drive to help support this program.

Donation locations include libraries in Des Plaines, Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows; branch libraries in Hanover Park and Hoffman Estates; Elk Grove, Hanover and Maine township offices; Des Plaines City Hall and Frisbie Center; Rolling Meadows Courthouse and Senior Center; and Wheeling Senior Center.